A top executive at Airbnb said the home-booking company is willing to make concessions on short-term rentals within Singapore, which is one of the toughest markets in which it operates, reported Reuters.
The move comes after two men were charged for unauthorized short-term rental of apartments late last year.
Airbnb global policy head Chris Lehane said the company may put a cap on the number of days hosts in the city-state can rent their homes, while a registration system for hosts could help the government address any issues that may arise.
If asked, the company would not also list public housing on its platform.
“We feel optimistic that as the government looks around and sees the 400 plus partnerships that have been done, that if we can figure this out in Cuba, we should be able to figure it out here in Singapore,” explained Lehane, who noted that the company had managed to make great strides in other markets like Cuba and China.
With majority of its 5.6 million people living in apartments, the city-state has strict rules on short-term rentals.
Private homes may only be rented for a minimum period of three consecutive months while public housing may be rented for a minimum period of six months.
Although it is not a large market for Airbnb, Singapore serves as the company’s headquarters for Asia Pacific.
This article was edited by Keshia Faculin.
